| name | iblai-marketing-cold-email |
| description | Write B2B cold emails and follow-up sequences that get replies. Use when the user wants to write cold outreach emails, prospecting emails, cold email campaigns, sales development emails, or SDR emails. Also use when the user mentions "cold outreach," "prospecting email," "outbound email," "email to leads," "reach out to prospects," "sales email," "follow-up email sequence," "nobody's replying to my emails," or "how do I write a cold email." Covers subject lines, opening lines, body copy, CTAs, personalization, and multi-touch follow-up sequences. For warm/lifecycle email sequences, see iblai-marketing-email-sequence. For sales collateral beyond emails, see iblai-marketing-sales-enablement. |
| globs | null |
| alwaysApply | false |
| metadata | {"version":"1.1.0"} |
/iblai-marketing-cold-email
Write cold outreach that reads like a sharp human, not a sales machine
running a template.
Step 0: Context Check
Read .agents/product-marketing-context.md (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md
on older setups) first. Only ask for what isn't there.
Pull these inputs:
- Who are you writing to? — role, company, why them specifically
- What do you want? — outcome (meeting, reply, intro, demo)
- What's the value? — the specific problem you solve for people like them
- What's your proof? — a result, case study, or credibility signal
- Any research signals? — funding, hiring, LinkedIn posts, company news, tech stack changes
Work with what the user provides. A strong signal and a clear value prop are enough to write. Don't block on missing inputs — use what you have and flag what would make it stronger.
Writing Principles
Write like a peer, not a vendor
Read like someone who understands their world — not someone trying to sell to them. Use contractions. Read it aloud. If it sounds like marketing copy, rewrite.
Every sentence earns its place
Cold email is ruthlessly short. If a sentence doesn't move the reader toward replying, cut it. The best cold emails feel like they could have been shorter, not longer.
Personalization must connect to the problem
Remove the personalized opening — if the email still makes sense, the personalization isn't working. The observation should lead naturally into why you're reaching out.
See personalization.md for the 4-level system and research signals.
Lead with their world, not yours
The reader should see their situation reflected back. "You/your" dominates "I/we." Do NOT open with who you are or what your company does.
One ask, low friction
Interest-based CTAs ("Worth exploring?" / "Would this be useful?") beat meeting requests. One CTA per email. Make it easy to say yes with a one-line reply.
Voice & Tone
Target voice: a smart colleague who noticed something relevant and is sharing it. Conversational but not sloppy. Confident, not pushy.
Calibrate to the audience:
- C-suite: ultra-brief, peer-level, understated
- Mid-level: more specific value, slightly more detail
- Technical: precise, no fluff, respect their intelligence
What it should NOT sound like:
- A template with fields swapped in
- A pitch deck compressed into paragraphs
- A LinkedIn DM from someone you've never met
- An AI-generated email — avoid: "I hope this email finds you well," "I came across your profile," "leverage," "synergy," "best-in-class"
Structure
No single right structure. Pick a framework that fits, or write freeform if it flows.
Shapes that work:
- Observation → Problem → Proof → Ask — You noticed X, which usually means Y challenge. We helped Z with that. Interested?
- Question → Value → Ask — Struggling with X? We do Y. Company Z saw [result]. Worth a look?
- Trigger → Insight → Ask — Congrats on X. That usually creates Y challenge. We've helped similar companies with that. Curious?
- Story → Bridge → Ask — [Similar company] had [problem]. They [solved it this way]. Relevant to you?
Full catalog with examples: frameworks.md.
Subject Lines
Short, boring, internal-looking. The subject line's only job is to get the email opened — not to sell.
- 2-4 words, lowercase, no punctuation tricks
- Read like it came from a colleague ("reply rates," "hiring ops," "Q2 forecast")
- No product pitches, no urgency, no emojis, no prospect's first name
Data: subject-lines.md.
Follow-Up Sequences
Each follow-up adds something new — a different angle, fresh proof, a useful resource. "Just checking in" gives the reader no reason to respond.
- 3-5 total emails, gaps widening
- Each email stands alone (they may not have read prior touches)
- The breakup email is your last touch — honor it
Cadence, angle rotation, breakup templates: follow-up-sequences.md.
Quality Check
Before presenting:
- Does it sound like a human wrote it? (Read aloud.)
- Would YOU reply to this if you received it?
- Does every sentence serve the reader, not the sender?
- Is the personalization connected to the problem?
- One clear, low-friction ask?
Do NOT
- Open with "I hope this email finds you well" or "My name is X and I work at Y"
- Use jargon: "synergy," "leverage," "circle back," "best-in-class," "leading provider"
- Dump features — one proof point beats ten features
- Send HTML, images, or multiple links
- Fake "Re:" or "Fwd:" subject lines
- Ship identical templates with only {{FirstName}} swapped
- Ask for 30-minute calls in the first touch
- Send "just checking in" follow-ups
Data & Benchmarks
References for informed choices:
Use the data to inform writing — not as a checklist to satisfy.
Related Skills
- iblai-marketing-copywriting: For landing pages and web copy
- iblai-marketing-email-sequence: For lifecycle/nurture email sequences (not cold outreach)
- iblai-marketing-social-content: For LinkedIn and social posts
- iblai-marketing-product-context: For establishing foundational positioning
- iblai-marketing-revops: For lead scoring, routing, and pipeline management
